FORT WORTH – If there is one thing that NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver James Buescher would like to accomplish this season, it would be to win one of the two Truck Series races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Buescher, who is the defending NCWTS champion, has won on every track configuration at TMS during his racing career except the 1.5-mile speedway oval.

“I’ve won races on all of the tracks at Texas Motor Speedway except the mile-and-a-half,” Buescher said during an interview on Monday at Media Day at TMS. “I got a couple of poles here on the mile-and-a-half, but I’m trying to change that and be the first guy to win on all five tracks at Texas Motor Speedway.”

The 22-year old driver, who now resides in Katy, grew up in Plano and raced at various tracks around Texas, including San Antonio Speedway. His first racing championship came at TMS in the Lone Star Legends. At the age of 14, he won the championship in the Bandolero Young Gun division. He also won on the TMS dirt track, Lil’ Texas, road course and ¼-oval.

Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher, driver of the #31 Rheem Chevrolet, answers questions from the media during Media Day at Texas Motor Speedway on March 4, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

“I really want to win a race here at Texas on the big track,” said Buescher, who will get his first chance when he competes in the NCTWS WinStar World Casino 400 on June 7. “I’ve come close many times, but just haven’t been able to get the job done.”

In eight starts in the NCWTS at TMS in his No. 31 Great Clips/Rheem Chevrolet, Buescher has won two poles, led for 129 laps and has three top-10 finishes, including two sixth-place finishes in 2010, which is a career best for him at TMS.

“Just being at Texas Motor Speedway brings back memories,” Buescher said. “It is where I won my first races and where I met my wife. A lot of cool things have happened here at this race track and it’s just a cool place for me to come to. My dad had a motor home spot in the infield when I was growing up and I’ve been here as race fan and a racer.”

Since joining the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Buescher has scored four victories, 27 top fives, 46 top 10s and won three pole awards. He has led 818 laps and has earned $2,132,040.

“When I was racing only in Texas and getting started out here I never imagined that I would be racing in NASCAR one day,” Buescher said. “To go from never imagining to racing in NASCAR to being a NASCAR champion is unreal.”

Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher, driver of the #31 Rheem Chevrolet, autographs a large poster of himself for Speedway Children's Charities during Media Day at Texas Motor Speedway on March 4, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

After missing the NCTWS championship by 29 points in 2011, Buescher rebounded last season and claimed the title while driving for Turner Scott Motorsports.

“I’m excited about this year,” Buescher said. “I’m excited about staying in the truck series and trying to go and defend that title. With no one having won back-to-back championships in the Truck Series, it just makes it more of a reason to stay and try to be the first one to do that.”

Buescher added, “It was a big decision not to move up to the Nationwide Series. It was the best fit for myself and Turner Scott Motorsports. With the way our sponsorship deal worked out this year and with Rheem wanting to come on board in the Truck Series, it was just the best fit for me and the team right now.”

Buescher said the competition level is pretty stout in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Last year there were 22 races and 16 different winners on the circuit.

“I think the competition level will be stronger this year,” Buescher said. “There is more talent in the garage and more teams that are stronger. The Truck Series has changed a lot from where it was a couple of years ago.”

Buescher said he thinks the Truck Series is still designed to be a stepping-stone series where drivers gain experience before moving up to the NASCAR Nationwide or Sprint Cup Series.

“The Truck Series was designed to get you prepared for the Nationwide Series and the Cup Series,” Buescher said. “It is cool to see the Truck Series have so many young drivers doing so well in the series right now. A couple of years ago the series was dominated by the veterans and the guys from the Cup Series who came down and raced with us. It’s cool to see the young drivers take it back over and I’m glad to be a part of that.”

Buescher said he decided not to make the jump to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season.

“The Truck Series is exciting and that is more of a reason for me to stay,” Buescher said. “I want to do what I am doing because I want to do it. I don’t want to move up because someone else wants me to or to say that I am a Nationwide driver or a Sprint Cup driver. I just want to have fun, otherwise I wouldn’t travel every week of the year and do everything that comes along with racing.”

Buescher added, “I’m only 22-years old. I want to race because I want to race and I want to have fun doing it. If I want to move up and hurry up and climb the ladder to the Cup Series and not succeed, that’s no fun. I just want to enjoy myself while I’m doing it and whatever is supposed to happen will happen.”’

Buescher said he does planning on eventually leaving the Truck Series and moving to the NASCAR Nationwide Series on a full-time basis.

“It’s more fun to be winning,” Buescher said. “I do want to move up, but I want the challenge. In order to do so, you have to have everything to align itself correctly. Right now everything is aligned for me to stay in the Truck Series and maybe move up to Nationwide next year. As long as I am having fun, I am going to keep doing it.”